Does habitat restoration cause species extinction? Original Research Article

Habitat destruction is a major cause for species extinction. Does habitat restoration on species evolution with stable state cause species extinction? To address the problem, a multi-species coexistence dynamical model under habitat restoration is set up to simulate the evolutionary trait of different species in different communities. Relevant researches show that habitat restoration has great impacts on landscape changes and species combination. The results find two kinds of latent mechanism of species extinction: the first latent extinction mechanism and the quasi-second latent extinction mechanism. The former refers to the extinction of several vulnerable species while the latter is the extinction of some relatively strongest (not the best) populations. Those survivors experience three phases of transitory increase, adjustment and stability. The dominant species persist and grow fast in different communities, while other several sub-dominant species face the fate of latent crisis of extinction. Two mechanism of n-species community as habitat restorations are found via a number of numerical simulations. One is the mechanism of alternation between oddness and evenness, and the other is the mechanism of coordinate evolution and coordinate degeneration. Two field investigation examples have been given to clarify the evolutionary mechanisms. The results may be helpful for biological conservation and provide theoretical guidance to construct nature reserves.